A New Day Has Come
by Arctic Flame
Summary: Sixteen fighters try to turn back the tide of the war after the massive human defeat at Reach... will they be sucessful, or is it already too late to stop the Covenant? (CHAR BIOS ADDED)
1. Character Bios

Character Bios

(Listed in order of appearance)

**Combat Personnel**

**Tina Armstrong** - her father was drafted by the UNSC when she was young, causing her to hate the Covenant as she grew older, for taking her father away from her. Believing him to be dead, she fights the Covenant to prove herself and to avenge her father's death. 

Preferred Weapons/Fighting Style - Tina likes the MA5B Assault Rifle along with the standard Marine load out of equipment. She doesn't mind getting up close and personal to do her dirty work, and fights with controlled aggression. 

Age: 21

Heritage: American

Appearance: Shoulder-length blonde hair, stands at about 5'10. 

**Bayman** - His parents were killed before his eyes on a Covenant raid on his home planet. He despises the Covenant and enlisted with the UNSC to avenge their deaths. He gained distinction in a daring raid on Jericho VII, and eventually became one of the top commandos Earth had to offer.

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: T6K Battle Rifle. Bayman is a commando, skilled at clean killing and stealthy movement. He is a skilled tactician and will use caution when confronted with a situation. However, when his friends are under attack, there is no stopping this man from charging out to help his friends.

Age: 31

Heritage: Russian

Appearance: Muscular 6'4 body, short black hair. 

**Christie** - The origins of this woman are vague. They say that she was raised on Elipson Benedas II, and was raised throughout a Covenant invasion. When she escaped from the planet, she had lost everything. Her family, her friends, all her possessions... everything. As a consequence of her violent and depressing childhood, she has no remorse for the Covenant. If she could, she would kill them all without hesitation. 

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: Modified S2 AM Sniper Rifle. Christie will sweep the entire area clear of enemies with cold precision. Her hatred of the Covenant runs deep, very deep. Her skill with her modified S2 is unmatched, and they say she is incapable of feeling emotions for the Covenant. All the better to make a soldier.

Age: 24

Heritage: British.

Appearance: Christie stands at about 5'8, and she has medium-length white hair. Blue eyes.

**Bass Armstrong** - Father of Tina. Drafted by the UNSC when Tina was 5, fought against the Covenant for many, many years. He fights to stall the Covenant, hopefully stopping them from invading his home planet, Alpha Draconis... 

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: M19 Rocket Launcher. Bass loves big guns and big explosions. He is a master with the M19, knowing everything about the gun. He can lead his target and plant the shot almost instinctively. If you want someone to hold a M19, pick him.

Age: 42

Heritage: American.

Appearance: 6'6, massive body reminiscent of Hulk Hogan. Tremendously tough and strong.

**Kasumi** - Before the Covenant War, Kasumi was a smuggler and bounty hunter. Her assassination skills were unrivalled and she was in high demand as a bounty hunter and mercenary. However, this made her comrades jealous, and she wisely left her smuggler's guild before they could make an attempt on her life. She freelanced for awhile, fending off assassins and bounty hunters eager to get rid of her. Then, when the humans were forced to unite because of the impending Covenant threat, Kasumi enlisted with the UNSC. They saw her potential and now she's the top scout in the whole force.

Preferred Weapons/Fighting Style: Throwing Knives and Silenced Weapons. She will scout out the enemy positions, using her small sie and speed to her advantage. She will strike silently and quickly, not leaving any indication that she's been there. She is also adept at defeating security systems and hacking computer terminals.

Age: 18

Heritage: Japanese

Appearance: Short, at only 5'2, and slim. Long brown hair, usually worn loose or in a ponytail. 

**Ryu Hayabusa** - Somewhat of a legend among UNSC personnel, Ryu was born on Earth, in Japan. When the covenant attacked, he vowed to protect his home plant and his beautiful home country. At the battle of Elipson Benedas, he single-handedly defeated an Elite in hand to hand combat with his bare fists, thus saving the lives of everyone on his ship. He declined a promotion to a command post, and instead fights the Covenant again, proud to defend the beautiful country known as Earth.

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: MA5B Assault Rifle/Combat Knife. Ryu will fight with a MA5B, then switch to a combat knife if the battle gets up close. He was raised in a semi-feudal Japanese village, and thus has some training as a ninja. He can move with startling quickness and agility, and his aim with his knife is unmatched. 

Age: 25

Heritage: Japanese

Appearance: Tall, lean body. Long brown hair.

**Hitomi**- A young karate master that enlisted in the UNSC when she was 16. Her combat experience started when she was on a training exercise. The Covenant raided the planet unexpectedly, and Hitomi used the machinegun effective against thm. It has been her favorite weapon ever since.

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: Moblie LAAG. She is a machinegunner, providing heavy fire support and coverage. She is an expert at thinking on the fly and is dead accurate with her gun. When things get too close for comfort, she can rely on her sidearm and her deadly karate skills.

Age: 18

Heritage: German

Appearance: Short and slim body, shoulder-length brown hair.

**Zack** - Pyrotechnics expert that started off working at Hollywood. When the war broke out, the UNSC recruited him because of his knowledge of explosives. He is the undisputed master of blowing things up, and that includes Covenant. His goal is to defeat the Covenant so he can go back to rubbing shoulders with the celebrities.

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: Grenades, Mines, MA5B Assault Rifle. Zack's laid-back style has annoyed many people, but all efforts to change his ways have failed. Sometimes he fails to take things seriously, but when his squadmates are under fire, he will help them at whatever cost. He enjoys toasting the Covenant with mines while watching from a safe distance.

Age: 27

Heritage: American

Appearance: Dark skin, funky hairdo, tall and lean.

**Leon **- Heavy-weapons expert. He lost his family to the Covenant, just as his wife was pregnant with her second child. Filled with rage, Leon fights the Covenant to prove himself to the woman he loved most. 

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: M64U Submachinegun. Leon likes firepower. Lots of firepower. Whether it be Grunts, Hunters, or anything in between, Leon will use the same strategy on them: spray them with lead until they die. 

Age: 42

Heritage: Italian

Appearance: Heavily built 6'4 body, short dirty blonde hair. 

**Brad Wong** - Brad was a space pirate and sumggler. He would take illegal shipments of anything and transport them to anywhere for a small fee. He had to deal with various sorts of trouble on the way, and thus gained combat experience by doing so. He has fought with a vairty of weapons and styles, and if very unpredictable in combat.

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: MA5B Assault Rifle, or any other thing that shoots. And even some weapons that don't. Brad is a jack of all trades. Tell him to be a rocketeer, and he'll do it. Tell him to be a tank driver, he's on it. Rough, tough, and totally unpredictable in combat, Brad is a formidable addition to the team.

Age: 26

Heritage: Chinese

Appearance: Slim 5'10 body, long white hair.

**Helena** - The daughter of a famous ONI field agent, Helena was brought up in a sheltered manner. Her father died  under mysterious circumstances in an operation that officially didn't exist. She loved her father dearly and joined the UNSC, hoping that eventually she will find out the truth.

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: MA5B Assault Rifle. What's so special about Helena is that she is basically impervious to all distraction while completing a task. Some say that it's because of her upbringing, others say it was the result of being the offspring of an ONI spook. She is cool as ice in combat, and she fights in a very controlled manner.

Age: 21

Heritage: French

Appearance: Medium height, meduim build, long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.

**Ayane** - A former bounty hunter turned commando. She started out as a bounty hunter, taking on small jobs for various customers. Soon, her skill and expertise made her more popular. She joined the same clan as Kasumi, but soon grew jelous of Kasumi's success, because Ayane thought Kasumi was less skilled then her. On the day Ayane planned to kill Kasumi, Kasumi fled. Ayane was about to catch her when the Covenant attacked. By chance, the two rivals met again, united. Ayane's skill as a bounty hunter caught the eye of ONI, and she worked as a field agent there for awhile, gaining experience in stealth, subterfuge, and combat. In battle, she effectively combines all three in one deadly mix.

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style: Silenced Weapons, Throwing Knives, Explosives. Ayane employs a lethal combination of stealth, deception and force in combat. Preferring to strike unseen, most of her enemies die without seeing what hit them. However, Ayane is also skilled in combat, armed and unarmed, making her a valuable asset.

**Jann Lee** - Always the lonely soldier, Jann Lee still fights on for the planet he loves most: Earth. He was a orphan, and enlisted in the army as soon as he could by lying about his age. He is the silent but deadly kind, preferring to use actions instead of words to express himself. 

Preferred Weapon/Fighting Style - MA8B Assault Rifle. Jann Lee prefers to fight alone. This is reflected in his choice of weapon - the MA8B. It is like the MA5B but with double the ammo capacity, a 2x scope, and a grenade launcher, making it the all-round weapon of choice. He likes to slowly march across the battlefield, leaving a swath of destruction in his wake. In battle, he is dead serious and hard as steel. He doesn't like Zack very much because of his laid back attitude.

Age: 25

Heritage: Chinese

Appearance: Medium-build 6'0 body. Spiked black hair.


	2. Default Chapter

AN - 

This is a DOA3/Halo crossover fic. Halo fans, do not be alarmed. If you are not familiar with DOA3, don't break a sweat. I only use their names and looks, that's it. You can imagine them to be regular UNSC Marines if you wish. 

Yes, I know, 16 characters... you'll get to know each and every one of them... I try to keep the introductions varied and spread apart, so I won't bore you =P Plus, I only introduce around ten this chapter. The rest will make an appearance next episode. Anyways, please r/r, no flames plz. And last but not least, enjoy =)

A New Day Has Come

By Gloob2K

_As the planet Reach was destroyed by the Covenant, there was very little hope left for humanity, as only one ship escaped the battle alive... or so they say..._

"Engine check!"

"Engine Temperature within normal parameters, sir!"

"Increase engines to 160%!"

"Yes sir!"

Captain Marc Harding looked at the main view screen with his grim brown eyes. The planet Reach, his home... 

It was too late for that, he told himself. Many good soldiers died defending reach... including all but one of the Spartans... but he had to fight on. For earth, and the billions of people that were counting on them. For all he knew, they were the only survivors of Reach... only him and the UNSC destroyer _Intrepid_...

"Engine temperature approaching critical!" 

"Nearly there... just a few more seconds, Lieutenant..."

Lieutenant James O'Dell's hands worked feverishly as he worked to keep the engine temperatures below critical levels. Only a few more seconds...

"Cut engine power!"

"Sir!" 

"Jump us to... to anywhere! Then take us to Alpha Draconis..."

"Yes sir!"

Lieutenant (jg) Ashley Townes inputted the appropriate coordinates and engaged the main engines. She was a firebrand... she loved to go fast, and she loved to have an entire ship responding to her hand. She would be out flying the Trans-Solar Pilot Competition right now... except that it didn't exist anymore.

Harding nodded and relaxed slightly. They were safe for now. He didn't know if he could ever get those images out of his head... the proud planet, being bombarded into a molten slag... the screams of the ground troops as their radios were silenced, one by one...

***

Corporal Tina Armstrong looked nervously around. She was among Marines, but not any old Marines. Now, she had seen her fair share of combat, and was the best all-around fighter in her division... she felt like she didn't belong among these people. These were the toughest Marines she'd even seen. 

"Attention!"

Tina snapped to attention, as did the rest of the Marines. There he was, an admiral, no less. He looked at the Marines with grave eyes. He saw strength, courage... and fear.

"At ease!"

The Marines snapped out of their salutes and respectfully stood with their legs spread and their hands behind their backs.

"I suppose you are wondering why I called you in here today," the Admiral started.

A general murmur of agreement followed.

The Admiral's face betrayed all his emotions. He swallowed and said, "I regret to inform you that... that the planet Reach has been... taken by the enemy."

No one said anything. A few of the younger Marines looked stunned. The older ones tried not to betray any emotion, but you could see the impact of the words on their faces.

"As a additional note, there were no survivors. Every man, woman, ship and weapon that defended Reach fell with Reach."

The admiral swallowed again, "This includes the Spartans."

A stunned silence filled the room. The Spartans were the last hope for humanity. They had never lost a battle on the ground...

The admiral continued with more determination, "As a result, we have established the final protocols. What you will see will not leave this room. If any of you want to leave, leave now."

None of them left. Tina swallowed and tried to keep her legs from shaking.

"Very well. We are initiating the Armageddon Protocol."

Someone uttered a brief cry. Tina wasn't sure who. The Armageddon Protocol was a legend among the rank-and-file Marines. Until recently, only two people knew about it. Now one is dead.

"The Armageddon Protocol... you've all probably heard something about it, but it is probably nothing like what you've heard. Now, here is Armageddon."

A silence filled the room again as a disguised side wall started rotating. Tina's eyes bulged slightly as she saw what was on the other side.

"It... it cannot be..." a gruff voice from Tina's left said. Tina turned her head. There was a massive Russian standing there, looking in awe. On his shirt was the embroidered name "Bayman", but Tina was sure that was a codename. She saw a multitude of medals on his chest... three purple hearts, numerous campaign ribbons... Tina reminded herself not to mess with him.

"This is Mark-Ixia Combat Armor," the Admiral said, "Tremendously improved over the Mark-I. It has been adapted for use among non-genetically engineered soldiers, while providing almost the same performance. Problem is, we only have 16."

"So you picked us..." a soft voice from Tina's right said. Tina looked over to a white-haired woman with a face that looked like it had been etched in stone. "Christie..." Tina muttered, reading the nametag. She had a Distinguished Rifleman's badge... sniper, most likely.

"Correct. Same shield capabilities, HUD, enhanced reflexes... everything. Now, let's try these on, shall we?"

The response was a resounding, "Sir! Yes, Sir!"

***

"Captain! Incoming transmission!" O'Dell shouted.

"From where?"

"Alpha Draconis, sir."

"Let's see it then."

The same face that previously delivered the speech to the Marines was now on the ship's view screen.

"Admiral Stone, sir!" 

"Captain! What a pleasant surprise! " The Admiral said, astonished that someone had actually survived Reach.

"How are things here, sir?" Harding asked worriedly.

"Armageddon has come, Captain. Armageddon has come..."

Harding blanched., "O'Dell... forward view screen... now!"

The main view screen popped to life. What the crew saw was enough to make them gasp. A space fleet. Not any space fleet. These were the cream of the crop, almost double the number of the defenders of Reach. Harding counted at least thirty cruiser-sized ships among hundreds of smaller ones.

"We will not go down without a fight," Harding muttered.

***

Tina marveled at the new armor that she would be wearing in a few minutes. The armor was glossy black, polished to shining perfection. Engraved into the armor were their names. The suits were custom-sized to match the proportions of the wearer. Tina scanned down the row for her armor, finding it near the end of the row. She walked over beside it and waited for the techs to come and help her suit up.

Tina watched another man come by, seeing his armor right by Tina's. Their eyes locked...

"Tina?"

Tina's eyes widened as she realized...

"Daddy..." she muttered softly, so that no one else would hear. Self-conscious, she saluted.

The man, Bass Armstrong, chuckled and saluted back in lieu of a hug. 

"I thought I would never see you again..."

Tina remembered the drafters... looking for able bodies to fight the Covenant... she had feared that her father was one of the countless Marines that had perished on Reach...

"Well... here I am..." Bass smiled.

"Armstrong, Tina," a techie said from behind her.

"That's me!" Tina replied.

"Great. Let's get this armor on you." the techie said, pulling out his kit.

Needless to say, it was a complicated process. The process took twenty minutes, and resembled building a 3-D puzzle more than putting on armor. Tina moved her arm. Her response time amazed her. She had to learn how to control her motions while in this armor. She nearly died laughing when she saw her father trying to walk. Let's just say that subtlety wasn't one of Bass's strong points.

***

After around an hour, everyone got the hang of moving in the armor. It was easier for some than others, but in the end, everyone managed. Admiral Stone came back in, and looked proudly at the soldiers, who took their helmets off and adjusted their hair.

"You look good already. Now, you are being pulled from your regular units and forming a new one. The name is up to you. But first, introductions. You should get to know each other. Kasumi, you start."

A short young woman stepped forward. Her long dark brown hair hung loose, which was against regulations... but regulations didn't really matter anymore. Her soft eyes had the power to melt someone's heart, or to make her opponents quiver in fear. She was a recon specialist, and not bad in a fight either. She could blend in, hide, move quickly and quietly... with her combat knife, she could kill anyone, at any time. 

"Ryu."

Ryu Hayabusa, somewhat of a legend among UNSC personnel, stepped forward. Everyone knew about the time he faced an elite in close combat... and won, with only his bare fists. He was tall, and his dark hair was tied back in a ponytail. His stride was confident and powerful, and he was cool as ice in combat.

"Zack."

Tall, lean, and extremely mean, Zack strode forward. His dark skin clashed with his bleached hair. He was his platoon's explosives expert. Tell him to blow up something, he'll blow it up, no problem. Add his skill with an assault rifle to the mix, and you've got yourself an explosive mixture.

"Hitomi."

Hitomi was one of the team's machine gunners. She carried the most feared weapon in the human arsenal - a variant of the tri-barreled LAAG found on the Warthog. If things got dicey... well, she also had mastered karate beyond belts. 

"Tina."

Tina gulped as she stepped forward. She was being scrutinized by 15 of the strongest Marines... her 5'10 frame seemed more like 4'10 among this unit. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. She waited for the chuckles, the scornful looks... but they didn't come. They looked at her with respect, not superior ness. Tina thought to herself, "Why do I deserve their respect? What have I done?"

She finished introducing herself and stepped back in line. 

***

Harding sat at Admiral Stone's office. He had a lot of questions to ask.

"Admiral, when did we ever get so many ships?"

Stone took a sip from his mug of coffee and looked at Harding.

"It's called holding back a reserve. We didn't want to gambit all our forces at Reach. You are looking at half of the remaining UNSC fleet."

"The other half?"

"Earth."

"So, what do we do with this half then?"

Stone looked at Harding gravely, "We... we have some special cargo. Something that will turn the tide of this war, Captain."

Harding laughed, looking at the Admiral, "Wasn't that what they said about the Spartans? What happened to them? They're all dead!"

"That's right, they're dead. Now, what if I told you we had more soldiers, just like the Spartans?"

Harding froze, "Impossible!"

"No. Mark my words, Captain. They will turn the tide of the war."

***

"Attention!"

Sixteen armor-clad figures snapped to attention.

Admiral Stone entered the briefing room, accompanied by a man with Captain's pins. 

"I would like you to meet someone, Marines. This is Captain Marc Harding. He will be your captain on this mission."

Harding gave the Marines a curt nod, trying to keep his jaw shut.

"Now, this mission is as follows. Naturally, everything is classified. From now on, everything I tell you is going to be classified. Got it?"

"Sir, yes sir!" all sixteen shouted.

"Great. Now..." the Admiral pushed a few buttons. A display of a lush planet popped up on the darkened wall in front of the Marines.

"Sir... is that Genesis Prime?"

"Yes, Bayman... that's Genesis Prime..."

A few Marines shuffled their feet. Genesis Prime was home to one of the greatest defeats ever suffered to UNSC forces. The task force sent there was completely routed, and the Covenant took over the planet without actually having to bombard it from space. Images of mass killings and looting were still fresh in their minds.

"Are we going back there, sir?"

"Yes we are, Marine. The mission is as follows: The Covenant left every piece of technology they could find intact. Stupidly, they forgot to destroy the planet's ground-based space defenses. Now, if we can activate the planet's defenses, we can blow some Covvie spaceships out of the sky before they even knew what hit 'em. Then we get out before they can glass the planet. Got it?"

The reply was unanimous, "Sir yes sir!"

***

"Permission to speak freely," Harding said behind gritted teeth.

"Granted," the Admiral said, lighting a pipe.

"Are you out of your mind? How are we going to sneak those ships onto the planet's surface?"

"I plan a diversionary action. We feint to one side, we send the transport in the other side. It should take no more than five minutes for them to get the guns up and running," Stone said calmly.

"And what crazy person is going to command the space operation?"

"You are, Captain."

Harding grinned, "Exactly what I wanted to hear, Admiral. We'll give those Covvies a good whipping!"

***

The troops made a temporary barracks out of the ship's cargo bay. Some soldiers played cards, some polished their weapons or armor, and some trained.

In the corner one man placed his armor into the appropriate rack. Embroidered on his uniform was the name "Leon". 

Leon took his helmet and placed it on top, flicking off a small piece of dust. The armor, built to accommodate Leon's 6'4 frame, stood proudly by the others. Leon stood and cracked his knuckles. Then he walked over to the weapons locker.

Almost instinctively, he reached for a M64U Assault Rifle, his weapon of choice. While others complained about the recoil and the ammo consumption rate, Leon enjoyed feeling the sheer power of the gun. As a heavy-weapons specialist, he loved big, big guns. 

"How do you manage to shoot that thing?"

Leon turned around. Bayman stood there, his hands placed on a T6K Battle Rifle. 

"I'm Bayman," the Russian soldier said, extending his hand. He stood only one inch shorter than Leon, so he didn't have to look up.

"Leon. Well... I guess I manage. I can shoot two at once in a pinch too..."

"Ah, Comrade. I prefer clean kills. One shot to the head, and they're done for."

"I like seeing their bodies being pulverized by the sheer amount of lead my gun can spit out," Leon offered.

"Different styles, comrade," Bayman laughed, "Well, I'd better clean my rifle. See ya around!"

"Bye!" Leon said, checking the status of his own gun. 

***

The _Intrepid_ was in the middle of the huge human task force. Three cruisers; the _Atlas, Behemoth, _and _Devastator_ led the formation. Twenty destroyers were at the flanks and various support ships brought up the rear. 

"Harding to all ships. Prepare for battle. We are reverting to cruising speed... in five... four... three... two... one... now!"

***

"Marines, get ready for combat!"

All sixteen stopped whatever they were doing and suited up, with some help. Taking their weapons of choice, they boarded the Pelican drop ship that they would be landing in.

"Alright, make yourselves nice and comfy... and get ready to depart."

"Team Red, assemble here!" 

Four of them got up and walked over to one corner of the crew area. 

"Green, blue, yellow, assemble!"

The remaining twelve split themselves up according to their groups. 

"Alright, listen up," Bayman said. He was Red-1 and determined not to fail his first command. His team's responsibility was to secure the entrance to the security complex while teams Blue and Green went in. Yellow would cover their retreat.

"I want you all to stay focused, to think about the mission and nothing but. You see something, let us know. Keep cool. If you remember this, you'll live to fight another day. Got that?"

"So, we just hold the entrance, right?" Hitomi asked. She carried her machinegun, which looked deceptively small when folded up (yes, it's foldable. The wonders of modern technology.), but was over 5 feet long when deployed, nearly as tall as Hitomi herself. 

"Correct. Nothing complicated."

"Just defense? Should be easy." Christie said, tightening her grip on her sniper rifle.

"Plain and simple!" Brad assured her, slamming a clip into his Assault Rifle. Now, First Lieutenant Brad Wong was a pure leatherneck. Rough, tough, handy with every weapon and with his bare fists as well. True soldiers like him were in short supply.

"You got it, Brad. Let's get ready to rock n roll!"

***

"Contacts!" O'Dell screamed, glancing at his radar screen. 

"Put it on the view screen," Harding said calmly. O'Dell tapped a few buttons and the display came up.

There was the Covenant fleet, turning to investigate. Harding counted five large ones and numerous small ones.

"Ready your MAC systems!" Harding said into his intercom, "Stick to your assigned ship!"

"MAC systems ready!" the weapons officer, 2nd Lieutenant Alan Reid, shouted. "Ready to fire at your command!"

"Salvo one, fire!"

The ship shuddered as the huge cannon fired. Only a destroyer, the _Intrepid_ only had one, but the larger ships had multiple MAC guns.

Harding watched as the huge shells lanced towards the enemy fleet. Two missed, expertly dodged by the Covenant. The rest hit.

The larger ships' shield flared as their protective bubbles protected the ship. The smaller ships were not so lucky. The MAC rounds went through them like a hot knife through butter. One ship spun around like a top as one engine was hit. The ship tore itself apart, the centrifugal force bending and twisting the ship until it finally exploded. One ship was cut in two by a shot, both halves exploding within a second of each other. One MAC round even hit two ships in a row.

"Fire second salvo!"

The cruisers fired another MAC shot, the three projectiles hurtling towards the Covenant ships at tremendous speed. Two hit the same cruiser, one deflected by whatever was left of the shields, the other one arriving a split second later unopposed. The MAC round tore a hole right through the cruiser and sped out the other side. The cruiser drifted for a few seconds before exploding brilliantly, damaging other ships near it. The last MAC round finished off a damaged destroyer before tearing a new hole in another destroyer. 

"And so the battle begins..." Harding muttered to himself as the Covenant charged their weapons.

***

"Launch!" 

The Pelican flew out of the transport's second cargo bay. Onboard were the four teams of four each, discussing their mission. The Pelican only had to fly a few minutes before reaching the planet's atmosphere. 

"Alright, we're at the IP! Hit it, Marines!"

The sixteen set foot in a secluded area right outside of the former military complex. No sign of activity. 

"Alright, let's move," Ryu (Blue-1) said, starting to move towards the base.

"I guess we stay here," Tina said. Her team was all set to defend this patch of land with their lives.

"Keep dinner warm!" Bayman chuckled as he walked off.

***

"Brace for impact!"

Harding almost forgot that the Covenant could fire back. Even though their numbers had dwindled, the Covenant fought back viciously. One Destroyer was burnt into a crisp as a plasma torpedo found it's mark. The battle turned into a fierce melee, as the onboard AIs struggled to get firing solutions for the MAC guns.

***

The twelve Marines positioned themselves to make a noisy entrance into the base. Kasumi scouted ahead and confirmed the presence of at least one regiment-sized unit. 

"Ready to rock?" Bass (Green-1) asked, his hands on a M19 Rocket Launcher, his weapon of choice. 

"Blue is ready!" Ryu said, checking his assault rifle.

"Red's ready!" Bayman shouted into his helmet, flipping the safety off his battle rifle. 

The twelve moved to the tree line, within meters of the base. Grunts and a few Jackals were milling about. No Elites in sight.

"Lay down support fire... now!" Ryu barked into his speaker. Hitomi opened up with her LAAG. Grunts died in swaths as the massive machine spat death at the enemy. Bass shot his M19 right into a pack of Jackals, killing them all and wounding a few unlucky Grunts. The rest also opened fire, slowly advancing. Bass shot off another rocket, blasting a Shade gun to pieces. 

"Red team, stay here!" Bayman barked into his intercom while shooting a Grunt in the head, "Wow... this is almost too easy!"

"You've said it!" Hitomi shouted, mowing down a column of Jackals with her LAAG. 

"Piece o cake!" Brad chuckled as he whacked a wounded Grunt with the butt of his rifle.

Christie didn't say anything, but kept picking off likely targets with her assault rifle, sometimes even taking two down with every shot. 

Bayman smiled, "Well, I suppose we just hold the fort here..."

***

"Incoming left!"

"On it, Captain," Townes acknowledged. She leaned into the controls, almost willing the ship to dodge. 

Harding watched the plasma torpedo miss, barely scraping the hull, "Nicely done!"

"Sir! We've lost the _Redemption _and the _Crusader_!" O'Dell shouted. Harding turned in time to see the two destroyers, both keeling over and with plasma fires evident. Harding shielded his eyes as both exploded within moments of each other, taking a Covenant frigate with them. 

"Forget about them! Continue to fight! Fire our MAC!"

"Sir!" 

***

Kasumi darted from one shadow to the next, scouting out the area. The security building was where the controls were located, and the Covenant were most likely guarding such a facility.

"Move up," she breathed into her intercom. Zack led the way, carrying his pack and assault rifle. Then came Ryu, sweeping the area with his assault rifle. Helena brought up the rear, her battle rifle at her side. Tough as steel and unflappable in combat, she was the ideal choice for rearguard.

"Go," Ryu said.

Kasumi darted forward again, getting closer to the control room. She could hear the Covenant now... but where were they?

A lone Grunt walked across the hallway. Kasumi took one of her throwing knives and threw is straight and true, right into the Grunt's head, his body falling into a shadowed area. Kasumi smiled. Another clean kill. 

"Clear!" she said into the mike. 

Her squad mates came down the corridor, this time more carefully. 

"They're down there," Kasumi pointed.

"Leave it to me, guys." Zack said, unzipping his pack. He pulled out a flash bang grenade and threw it down the corridor. 

"3... 2... 1... Move move move!" Ryu shouted. The reflective coating on his helmet protected his eyes, and the automatic noise shut-off system protected his ears. 

Grunts, blinded, ran into each other and into walls. The commanding Elite was hunched over, clutching his face. Helena gave the Elite a shot in the face. 

The Grunts, even more panicked at the loss of their leader, started shouting for help, giving away their positions. Ryu and the others killed every single one of them.

"All clear," Ryu said, ejecting an empty clip and slamming in a fresh one. 

"Alright..." Kasumi muttered, running over to the defense controls. Her fingers flew over the control pad in an effort to outwit the Covenant security protocols.

Ryu's intercom buzzed, "Hey Blue! You guys gonna be done any time soon?" 

"A few minutes... can you give me that, Bayman?"

"You got it, Ryu."

"Got it!" Kasumi shouted. "Activating guns... now!"

***

"Report!"

"The _Atlas_ has taken heavy damage!" Townes said, "She's retreating!"

"Great..." Harding muttered. He'd lost 6 destroyers so far, and had another couple crippled. When were the guns going to start up?

His question was answered a moment later. The ground-based MAC systems opened fire on the hostile ships. They got six before they even knew what hit them. The second salvo destroyed another one and damaged three others. Harding could imagine the shouts of the Covenant fleet commander, asking the planet why they were firing on him.

"The enemy is retreating!" O'Dell shouted.

"Ready MAC... and fire!"

The _Intrepid_'s MAC fired again, this time hitting a limping Covenant cruiser. 

The other ships fired one last massive volley, destroying what was left of the Covenant fleet.

"Oh yeah! We did it!" O'Dell screamed, pumping his fist in the air.

"Well done," Harding smiled, "Time for some R&R back home..."

***

"Mission successful!" Ryu shouted triumphantly, "Let's get our sorry butts out of here!"

"Glad to hear it, Ryu!" Bayman shouted over the radio, "Now, hurry up!"

Hitomi swiveled her gun around, "I think we got em all, Bayman."

Christie looked up from her rifle's scope, "I don't see anything."

Brad was about to slam a new clip into his assault rifle when something caught his eye...

"Hitomi! Get clear!"

Hitomi jumped off to her left, landing in a crouch ten meters away. A second later, her gun exploded in a brilliant flash of green. 

"Hunters!" she shouted, drawing her pistol. It was the only weapon she had left.

"Great..." Bayman muttered, taking cover behind a rock. "Christie! Take them out!"

"I can't get an angle..." Christie said, scanning for any weaknesses.

"I can give you an angle!" Brad said, jumping out from his cover. Ignoring the screams of his team leader, he ran right for the Hunters.

"Brad! Are you insane?" Bayman screamed into his radio. No response.

The Hunter growled and charged Brad with his massive shield. Brad deftly sidestepped, and the Hunter turned to face him.

Christie grinned. There was a chink in the Hunter's armor. She centered it in her sights and fired. The Hunter cried out and fell to the ground. Christie administered the _coup de grace_.

Then Brad saw the second Hunter. The gun on his arm started glowing... then died away. The Hunter collapsed, lifeless.

"Some pretty good shooting, eh?" Hitomi asked, holstering her pistol.

Brad exhaled deeply, "I couldn't ask for any better," he smiled.

"You guys alright?" Blue-1 said, emerging from the base.

"You just missed out on all the fun!" Brad exclaimed.

"Alright, stow the BS," Bayman laughed, "Let's get back to the EP."

***

Tina was relieved when she saw the friendlies pop up on her motion tracker. 

"They're back!" Leon said with a tinge of disappointment, "And I didn't get to shoot anything..."

"We should consider ourselves lucky," Tina said.

"We need the combat experience," Ayane said, idly flicking her throwing knife into a tree trunk. She was a commando, trained in stealth, quiet killing, and sabotage. She naturally itched for combat, and was disappointed today.

"Maybe we do," Tina assured her, "But we'll get the chance next time."

"I sure hope so," Ayane said. 

"Well, here comes our ride," Leon said, looking at the Pelican drop ship that was inbound toward their position.

"Hey, wait for us!" Ryu said, giving Tina and the others a pat on the back, "You did good. Now we get to go back home and get some rest."

"Umm... sir?" Kasumi said, pointing toward the drop ship.

"...Or not..." Ryu said, watching a green object speed towards the Pelican and explode on the ship's left wing, tearing it off. The ship came to its fiery death a scant hundred yards away.

All sixteen Marines muttered the same monosyllable as the fireball reached out for the sky.

***

"Captain Harding? We have a problem."

"What is it, Admiral?"

The Admiral looked at a printed sheet of paper, "Well, the Pelican sent to pick up our Marines was shot down."

"...We have to get them back then!"

"We're sending in a replacement. This one is a prototype stealth insertion plane, so the Covvies won't see it from the ground. As for the air, we wiped it all out. It's just a matter of time now. Three hours, then they'll be safe."

"A lot can happen in three hours," Harding said, "This thing may be finished in three minutes..."

***

"Base to Marines: Your extraction time is three hours. Hang tight, people. You're going home."

"Well, that's just dandy," Bayman growled.

"Alright people, stay calm. Let's head for the wreck site and see what we can salvage, alright?" Ryu asked.

"Sure thing," Tina shrugged, "Let's see what we can salvage."

A short walk later, Leon pried open the cargo door of the still-smoldering Pelican. Now, the cargo area was heavily armored, so most of the supplies were intact. Leon went in and started salvaging what he could. A few med packs, some ammo, a few spare guns, including a new portable LAAG for Hitomi, a few M19s... that was basically it.

"Well, Zack, start laying down some explosives, will ya?"

"Can do, Ryu," Zack said, unzipping his pack and taking out some mines. 

"Here, I'll help you," Ayane said, taking half. Zack took the other half and started planting them a few meters away. They were friendly fire proof, so the Marines could walk around with ease. Any Covenant trying to walk over would be turned into chunky salsa.

Fifteen minutes passed without anything happening. Then another fifteen.

"What kind of morons are they?" Christie mumbled.

"They're coming, I can smell them..." Kasumi said, looking around nervously.

Hitomi squinted and fired her LAAG. She was rewarded by a Grunt's scream.

"They're near..." she muttered.

"Not near enough..." Zack said, "A little closer... a little closer..."

Zack's prayer's were answered. An unlucky Elite stepped onto one of his mines, instantly killing him and a file of Jackals.

"Bingo!" Zack shouted, raising his arms in a victory gesture. His shields flared and he ducked, cursing. 

"Bad idea, Zack," Tina giggled.

"Shut up." Zack said as another mine, one of Ayane's, blew up, killing a pair of Elites.

"Here they come!" Hitomi shouted, catching her first real glimpse at the enemy. The unlucky Jackal stood o chance against the sheer power of the LAAG.

Zack smiled as more of his mines exploded. Ahh, the wonders of toasting Covenant from afar.

"Zack! Come and fight, you lazy oaf!"

"Chill it, Jann, I'm on it."

Lance Corporal Jann Lee looked at Zack out of the corner of his eye, "Doesn't look like it to me..."

"Whoa, whoa, alright!" Zack said, swinging around his assault rifle.

"Much better," Jann smiled, leveling his MA8B modified assault rifle. It was exactly like the standard issue but with 2x ammo capacity and a attached grenade launcher. Lots heavier too. Jann didn't mind the extra weight.

Zack whistled as he shot a Grunt right into one of his mines, killing a dozen others, "Now, is that a nice shot or what?"

"Incoming vehicles!" Christie shouted, ignoring Zack. Ghosts. Christie killed one of the drivers with a headshot before having to reload.

"Got it!" Bass shouted back, bringing his M19 into play. He shot the lead Ghost in the left side, causing it to spin and hit another one. Both exploded in a large fireball. Bass eliminated the last Ghost with a shot to the engine.

"Good one, dad!" Tina shouted.

"Thanks!' Bass shouted, reloading his gun.

"Here comes Hunters! One... no, two pairs! They're coming from the trees!"

"Damn..." Leon muttered. Pausing a moment to think, he grabbed the spare weapon he had on his back - another submachine gun, and strapped it over his shoulder. He was now wielding two submachine guns.

Bayman smiled, "Let's see you fire those, Leon."

The lead Hunter charged Leon as soon as he could. His thundering footsteps could be felt from a mile away. As soon as the Hunter got within ten meters, Leon let fly with  his duel subs. The Hunter didn't expect such a massive amount of lead come at him. He brought his shield up, leaving his tender midsection exposed. Bayman shot him three times there before he died. 

"I take it all back, Leon. You wield those pretty well!"

"Why thank you!" Leon chuckled, "Hey Bay, check your six."

Bayman turned around, and saw a Hunter making a beeline for him. Bayman sidestepped at the last moment and shot three clean shots through the Hunter's back.

"And nicely done to you as well," Leon said.

"Multiple contacts!" Ryu shouted. "Lots!"

"How many?" Brad asked, not seeing anything on his motion tracker.

"Lots!" Ryu said, "Incoming!!"

Brad ducked as a plasma grenade whizzed overhead. It landed a few feet away and exploded, engulfing him in a blue plasma cloud. When he emerged, his shield was completely drained and he hit the dirt, "Damn..." he muttered, clutching his left arm, which absorbed the brunt of the impact.

"Elites!" Christie shouted, aiming for one and missing. He was too quick.

"They've got plasma swords!" Leon observed, bringing his gun to bear.

"Oh... crap..." Bayman said. A gold-armored Elite appeared, not six yards from him. He backpedaled wildly, shooting his battle rifle. Three shots came out, and then his gun jammed. Bayman swore in Russian and threw the gun at the Elite. The Elite cleaved the gun in two with his sword. 

Then the Elite charged. His sword sliced into Bayman's armor, drawing blood. If Bayman didn't dodge over to one side, he would be cut in two. Instead, he rolled out of the way and clutched his side, drawing his sidearm. He knew it was a futile attempt. The Elite raised his sword to strike...

...and then his head exploded. Bayman shielded his helmet from the gore as the headless Elite slid to the ground, his blade shattering on the cold earth.

"Sorry I couldn't hit him earlier," Christie said, reloading her sniper rifle.

"Nah, you were just in the nick of time," Bayman groaned, "Oh shit, this hurts!"

***

"Move, move, move!" 

Twelve Marines loaded up into the modified Pelican. The other four were wounded and had to be carried. 

"How... how did we do?" Bayman asked, touching the pilot's arm lightly with his gloved hand. He tried to raise his head but was too weak to do so.

"100% Success. All the Covvie ships are toast."

Bayman weakly smiled, "Victory, comrade..."

"Here... I'll get you something for the pain..." 

The pilot injected Bayman with a sedative. He closed his eyes as he slipped into a deep sleep.

The pilot then strapped himself in and toggled his radio, "Infiltrator to base, we're going home!"

"Roger that, Infiltrator. Look forward to seeing you safe and sound." 


End file.
